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' G. A. PRESTON.

GARMENT SUPPORTBR.

Patented Nov. 16,1886

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NITED STATES CHARLES A. PRESTON, GAMBRIDGEPORT, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE FROST,

GEORGE H. PHELPS, AND GEORGE A. FROST, ALL OF MASSACHUSETTS.

WEST NEWTON,

GARMENT-SUPPORTER.

SPECIPJ ICATI ON forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,888, dated November 16, 1886.

v Application filed September 8, 1886. Serial No. 212,983. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. PRESTON, of Oambridgeport, county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Clasps, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to construct a simple clasp which will very firmlyengag'e and hold a piece of fabric or other material placed between the engaging-jaws thereof.

The invention consists of an open frame connected with a cross-bar, and a finger-piece hinged to the cross-bar between the sides of the frame, combined with a tongue hinged to the under side of said finger-piece,said tongue having three engaging-points, two of which project from the opposite sides of the tongue,

near its end, and are turned slightly upward to lie upon the open frame, near its end, and the third point projects from the end of the tongue between the two upwardly turned points, and is turned slightly downward tolie against the under side of the end of the open frame when the said tongue is'pushed forward by the finger-piece to engage any desired material-as, for instance, part of a stocking.

The open frame, in this instance, consists of 0 a piece of wire bent into substantially rectangular shape, the ends of the said wire being turned over a cross-bar, which latter also consists of a piece of wire bent to form a loop, to which a piece of tape or elastic band may be secured, such form of frame and loop being especially applicable as a stocking-supporter, in which instance the piece of tape connected with the loop may begattached to thegarment of the wearer or passed around the leg.

Figure 1 shows in side elevation a clasp em bodying this invention, the finger-piece being turned upward, so that the material to be engaged may be inserted between the tongue and the frame, Fig. 2, a vertical section of Fig. 1,

4 5 the finger-piece being partially turned downward; Fig. 3, a side view of the clasp, the finger-piece being completely depressed and the tongue pushed forward to engage any desired material 5 and Fig. 4, a front elevation of the clasp containing a piece of fabric or othermaterial properly inserted and engaged.

The open frame (1 consists of a' piece of wire bent into substantially rectangular shape and having its ends turned over upon a cross-bar, a, herein shown as one side of a loop, b,which latter is also made of wire, and to which any suitable piece of tape or band, 0, (see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) may be secured. The open frame a is slightly curved in the direction .of its length. A finger-piece, (1, having an upwardly-turned end, d, is hinged to the cross-baron betweenthe overturned ends of the open frame with a lug or ear, 6, which ears are joined by a cross-bar, e, a tongue, f, consisting of a slightly-curved piece of metal,being hinged to said'cross-bar e. The end of the tongue f is provided with three engaging-points, 2 3 4, the central point, 3, being turned downward, and the two points 2 4 turned upward, so that as said tongue is moved downward fromtheposition shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 3 the said tongue will follow upon the open frame until the engaging-point 3 lies against the under side of the end of said frame, and the two engaging-points 2 4 lie upon the said frame at or near its end.

The material to be engaged is inserted tween the frame a and v the tongue f while the finger-piece is lifted, these two elements constituting the jaws of the clasp, and the said finger-piece is then depressed, moving the tongue f downward or forward until the three engaging-points 2 3 4 crowd the material against the end of the open frame, thereby firmly engaging it. When the tongue f is moved forward to thus engage the material,it is locked in position by moving the finger-piece so that ter of the hinge of the said finger-piece.

By the employment of the three engagingpoints, as described, thematerial is held firmly down upon and into the end of the frame a by the points 2 and 4 and pushed beneath the frame and held by thepoint 3, which feature forms the essential part of this invention.

By the construction herein described the the hinge of the tongue passes beyond the cena. The finger-piece d is provided at each side i frame a presents a smooth surface to prevent chafing; 850., and when the finger-piece is depressed against the tongue the material enters the curved frame and also presents avery smooth surface.

It is obvious that the frame a may be made of a piece of metal properly stamped out and having a central slot, and also that the loop may be made in any usual manner; or, if desired, the two parts may be made in one piece suitably curved, and provided with a crossbar, to which the finger-piece is hinged.

1. In a clasp, a frame, a, cross-bar a, and finger-piece hinged to said cross-bar, combined with a tongue hinged to the under side of said finger-piece and having three engaging-points, 2 3 4, two ofwhich, as 2 4, are turned in one direction to lie against one side of the frame,

name to this specification in the presence of two 0 subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. PRESTON.

Witnesses:

G. W. GREGORY, B. DEWAR. 

